28 May 2008

Well...it is that time of the month again when you will be overwhelmed by the number of talented bakers out there. The last I had heard there were over 500 Daring Bakers in this movement. This group of talented bakers has exceeded anyone's expectations. The Daring Bakers is the brainchild of our beautiful and talented co-founders Lis at La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice . We are given a challenge each month, choose a day to bake our little hearts out and then we all post our top secret recipe on the same day. Today is that day...Wednesday May 28th!!!!!!!!! We are all winners here so let's start our Daring Baker journey!!

Today you are inundated with Opera Cakes of all shapes and varieties from all over the world!! It is amazing to see how each Daring Baker adds their own personal touch to the challenge with flavourings and decoration. Each one is unique and different. Way to go ladies and gents!!! Really cool!!!

This classic French dessert was created by Louis Clichy, who called it -what else - the Clichy. However, it was popularized by the Parisian patisserie Dalloyau as the Opera cake and is now mostly known by that name. It is a wonderfully rich and dreamy combination of delicate almond biscuit or joconde, chocolate ganache, usually coffee buttercream, and chocolate glaze.

The Daring Bakers used a combination of a recipe in Doris Greenspan's Paris Sweets (she adapted Dalloyau's own version of it) and of Tish Boyle and Timothy Moriarty's Chocolate Passion.! Lis and Ivonne chose this challenge along with two members they’ve taken under their baker’s wings Fran from Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie and Shea from Whiskful to help co-host.

Traditionally, a joconde is flavoured with darker flavours such as chocolate or coffee. It was our illustrious leaders decision to tie our post in with Spring and dedicate our posts to Barbara at Winos & Foodies for all her efforts with her event LiveSTRONG with a Taste of Yellow . So... in honour of all cancer survivors we all made Opéra Cakes that are light in both colour and flavour. Many in the food and wine blogging community supported LiveSTRONG Day with the A Taste of Yellow event. Last year 149 bloggers made yellow food to show their support for LiveSTRONG Day 2007 . This year there were 181 yellow recipes over at Wino & Foodies. Some chose to share their own cancer experiences and some told stories of their support for their friends or family experiencing cancer. LiveSTRONG with A Taste Of Yellow has been accepted by the Lance Armstrong Foundation as an official LiveSTRONG Day event on Tuesday May 13.

This cake is made with white chocolate and white chocolate mousse. I opted to add lemon zest to my buttercream and Citron, which is a lemon liqueur from the island of Naxos in Greece to the syrup for the jaconde. This mirrors the Taste of Yellow Event. There will be hundreds more combinations for you to browse through.

There was an egg white left over from making the jaconde so I utilized that to make candied pansies in keeping with the Spring theme.

All in all I had complete success with all aspects of making this cake this time around. The buttercream was light and creamy with a hint of lemon throughout. I even tried my hand at making some small versions of the same recipe. If you would like to complete this challenge look here for the recipe.

Check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see what we have all been up to today, imagine you are wandering the streets of Paris and slip into Dalloyau to have a slice of Opera Cake with a cafe au lait. Have a relaxing afternoon, put your feet up and ENJOY!!!

**Easy Edible Candied Pansies**

Candied flowers are an easy and elegant garnish to make. They are especially exquisite when used for wedding cake decorations. Pansy blossoms are ideal for this project because their simple shape and strong structure holds up well under the sugar’s weight.

Rinse and thoroughly dry pesticide-free pansies. Using a small paintbrush, thinly coat the petals with lightly beaten egg whites.

Set pansies on a plate covered with superfine sugar.

Sprinkle the blossoms with more superfine sugar. Gently shake to remove the excess.

Place on waxed paper and allow to dry for several hours.

There are many uses for edible flowers in our every day meals or to make a meal that much more special!
When making ice cubes, drop a few edible flowers in each tray compartment then freeze. “Flower cubes” make an elegant addition to punch bowls, cocktails or other cold beverages.

Alternate layers of rose or geranium petals or lemon balm with layers of regular sugar in small jars, seal and allow two weeks for the scent to permeate the sugar. These colourful, aromatic sugars can be used on the table or in cooking to add a delicate taste to foods and beverages.

You can also use scented geranium petals to scent jelly, ice creams and cakes.

Day lily buds can be frozen for later use in Oriental soups or stir fries.

Spicy nasturtium flowers and leaves add flavour and vibrant colour to salads.Pansies can be candied, used as a garnish or tossed into salads for colour.

Sweet-smelling rose petals add a delicate flavour to sweets. Remember to remove the bitter white base of the petal before eating!

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

Valli- last summer you said you weren't a baker..NOW look at you! Candied violets!You know, I considered a white chocolate/violet mousse. With your candied violets it would have been fantastic!Great choices!

These are so pretty. I love your little candied flowers. I look at these and think, "Afternoon Tea in the Springtime" or a really classy baby/bridal shower. They are just look like springtime transformed into dessert.

OH, I have been using a lot of flowers in cooking. Just did arugula flower rotis, used violets in pea soup I have some candied violet macaron that I have yet to post. Good job using them in opera cake.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for explaining how to make candied flowers! I just haven't taken the time to look this up and I have always wanted to give it a try! You are so wonderful for sharing this. Your Opera Cake is beautiful and the candied flowers make the cake even more elegant. =D

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.